9 Ex-Dividend Stocks With Buy Ratings

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The following stocks go ex-dividend Wednesday, meaning an investor must purchase the shares Tuesday to qualify for the next dividend payment: BP(BP), Broadcom(BRCM), Chevron(CVX), Duke Energy(DUK), Moody's(MCO), Royal Dutch Shell(RDS.A), United Technologies(UTX), Visa(V) and Walgreen(WAG).

Each of the stocks received a buy rating from TheStreet Ratings.

See the complete Dividend Calendar.

Royal Dutch Shell

The oil and gas company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $6.5 billion, or $1.04 a share. Year-ago earnings were $6.79 billion, or 93 cents.

Royal Dutch Shell paid about $10.5 billion in dividends in 2011 and is aiming to increase that amount, the company said on Feb. 2.

"We expect to revise our full year 2012 estimate down by 5% - 6% to take into account the going forward implications of Shell's weak fourth quarter results," Benchmark analysts wrote in a Feb. 6 report. "The lion's share of the reduction is applicable to the upstream segment reflecting upward revisions in our unit cost assumptions (particularly in the Americas segment) and downward revisions in our oil/gas production forecast. We now envision a full year production increase of approximately 4% - 5% in contrast to our prior estimate of an increase in the 7% - 8% range."

Forward Annual Dividend Yield: 4.7%

Rated "A- (Buy)" by TheStreet Ratings: The company's fourth-quarter gross profit margin was basically the same from last year.

Royal Dutch Shell has weak liquidity. Its Quick Ratio is 0.88, which demonstrates a lack of ability to meet its short-term cash needs.

In the fourth quarter, stockholders' net worth increased 14.52% from the prior year.

TheStreet Ratings' price target is $84.06. The stock closed Monday at $72.90.